Taking Flight
by Warriors222
Summary: Beechpaw and Robinpaw are ordinary cats of CloudClan... at least, they used to be, until disaster claims its victim and leaves one of them with the universe in their paws.  Join two cats on their journey to greatness, in the name of StarClan.
1. New Hope

_**Chapter 1: New Hope**_

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><p>Beechpaw padded into the clearing. "Sunpaw!" he called excitedly, prancing over to a bright ginger she-cat. Beechpaw had just become an apprentice; Sunpaw had been an apprentice for quite awhile, and she would be a warrior within the next three moons.<p>

"Hey, Beechpaw! You're an apprentice now! Are you ready to leave the Nursery?" Sunpaw asked him. Beechpaw nodded eagerly. "Of course! Now we're in the same den, Sunpaw! And we can hunt together!" Sunpaw purred and opened her mouth to say something, but Beechpaw never found out what she was going to say.

"Sunpaw," a voice said. "Let's go, we're training with Midnightpaw today!' Sunpaw nodded politely and padded away, joining her mentor and Midnightpaw, who was one of the eldest apprentices. Midnightpaw was a gray and black tom with dark blue eyes. Beechpaw's eyes narrowed; he always disliked Midnightpaw and his littermates.

You see, Midnightpaw, Fernpaw, and Dawnpaw were Beechpaw's mother's first litter. Beechpaw's older siblings. It always seemed as if they received more attention than him, and his sister, Robinpaw, agreed. "Especially Fernpaw," she would say. "Fernpaw always gets more attention." And though Beechpaw tried constantly to impress Sunpaw, he always got the feeling that Midnightpaw was trying to steal her away from him. He shrugged it off this once and padded over to his littermate.

"Robinpaw!" he called out, approaching her. "Hi, Beechpaw. Lionpaw was telling me about the territory!" Robinpaw mewed cheerfully. Lionpaw was Sunpaw's charming littermate. He was a pure golden color, fur long like a mane, and possessed melting green eyes. "Really?" Beechpaw inquired. He had no quarrel with Lionpaw.

Lionpaw nodded. "Yes, I was. Would you like to listen in, Beechpaw?" he asked kindly. Beechpaw nodded eagerly. He had not yet been out of camp. Lionpaw began, stars in his eyes, telling to the younger apprentices what he had once been told by his own mother.

"Our trees are many, our forest is far and wide, yet not as dense as that of IceClan or of GrassClan. Yet, the trees are alive with the various chirps and whistles of the woodland birds. The scurries of young squirrels and the rustles of plump rabbits echo throughout the moors, and the leaves brush together with much of a comforting sound, especially after a long days' work at camp. The refreshing water of the pond, rich with salmon, branches throughout our territory, sending the soothing melody of the babbling brook into the air, reaching the ears of all those who listen. At the shore of the Clan lake is a bridge of pure stone, strong and true, guiding all Clans to the island on which we Gather every moon. Our mere range of mountains is tall and snowcapped, and though they are nothing when compared to the mountains of IceClan, they are a majestic beauty to even the eyes of foxes. The ash-gray stones on which we perch in Greenleaf absorb the sunshine and radiate happiness to those who lay there. And the ravine is where a stream once flowed. A single dead tree marks the border between us and IceClan, nd resembling the dead peace of the Clans that would occur, should we break our sacred truce by the name of StarClan."

Robinpaw gazed at Lionpaw in awe. "Holy StarClan, Lionpaw, I could picture every single word!" Beechpaw, wide-eyed in wonder, just looked at Lionpaw without a mew. His littermate was right; it was as if Lionpaw hadn't even said the words, as if a StarClan cat had prophesized them long ago.

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><p>Night of Shining Star looked up at the pitch, cloudless sky. She dreamt of a land, away from the barren mountains in which she made her home with the rest of the Tribe. It was a rich land with green grass and lush trees and undergrowth and prey.<p>

Night of Shining Star was exasperated. Her once-sleek fur had faded to a dull, matted shade of rock-gray. Her eyes that once shined with pride and dignity had turned cloudy and glazed with silent desperation. Her frame was frail and thin, no longer healthy and full.

_Tribe of the Eternal Sky,_ she prayed silently. _Send us our new hope. Give us reason to look for the future. Help us survive. I want to live._

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><p><em><strong>AN:<strong> Hi, people! This was written by yours truly, Georgia! :) Please write a review! I love hearing from people, learning what they think. Please, no flaming. If you don't like it, that's okay! I willingly except kind criticism and suggestions. More to come!_


	2. The Cat in the Mist

_I present to you... CHAPTER 2! Enjoi! :)_

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><p><em><strong>Chapter 2: The Cat in the Mist<strong>_

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><p>Robinpaw looked through the thin, hazy mist. Far off into the distance, she saw a light blazing in the darkness. Naturally, she set off towards the light.<p>

A wispy willow tree swayed in the neutral winds. A purple, dreamlike tinge was cast over Robinpaw's vision. It wasn't long before she realized that it _was _a dream.

The light was still shining, yet it seemed even farther away. Convinced that she could wake up any second, she picked up the pace and ran to the light. Faster, and faster still. Her legs took her as far as she could go. The source of the light came into view. It was...

_a star?_

A star, on the ground. She backed off warily. What was she supposed to do? What kind of dream was this?

_"Stop!" _a sudden voice mewed and the breeze stopped blowing. Time stood still. All was silent, except for a swishing in the purplish undergrowth. From the undergrowth emerged a she-cat, so breathtaking it was unbelievable.

She had soft, creamy fur, long and well-groomed. Her eyes, a sharp, overwhelming blue, seemed to look, not_ at_ you, not _through_ you, but _into_ you. Her nose was the color of a rosy spring flower, and her tail swished in the air with a natural beauty in itself. As she came forward, she didn't pad like any other cat would. No, she pranced in a way that made it seem as if she were floating on air. Perhaps she was. Robinpaw couldn't tell. Anyway, what really did it was the fact that she was star-spangled. So many stars were nestled throughout her pelt that she looked many different hues at once. She'd become a murky purple, a milky white, a foggy blue, and then a silent black, but the natural pelt color was still there the entire time. Does that make sense? I truly hope it does, for it would be a shame to live your entire life without experiencing such beauty.

Robinpaw, while scrutinizing this she-cat, was rooted to the spot, her eyes locked on the she-cat's piercing gaze.

"Where am I?" she managed to say. "Who are you?"

The starry she-cat gave a purr much sunshine on a rainy day. "I am Snow that Falls on Water. You may call me Snow," she said, introducing herself. "You are Robinpaw, are you not?"

"That is a strange name. You know me?"

"Of course. You are... never mind," she said, dismissing her comment with a flick of her tail. "As to your location, you are in the Inter Land."

"The _what_?"

Snow motioned to the land around her. "The Inter Land." Robinpaw looked at Snow, wide-eyed and befuddled. "And what exactly _is _the Inter Land?"

The she-cat looked at Robinpaw for a moment, confused. Then her eyes brightened as she came to realization. "I forgot that you were not raised in the Tribe. Your StarClan does not have a world in between worlds. Ah, never mind that. Let me explain to you the Inter Land.

"Long ago, when the first group of Tribe cats—"

"The_ what_ cats?"

Snow seemed frustrated. "My dear, you are very behind on your knowledge of the world. Very well. From the very beginning, then.

"Long, long ago, before the times of the Clans were even thought of, there lived a group of ancient cats. They were terrorized by wild dogs and driven into the mountains, where the dogs refused to follow. Frightened to leave the rocky terrain, they proceeded further into the mountains, and discovered a cave near a stream with growing moss and a forest with prey. The cats decided to make their home there.

"All was well for a while. But, eventually, prey became scarce. It was wintertime."

"Wintertime?" Robinpaw interrupted.

Snow sighed. "Leafbare. Anyway, the prey went into hiding, and cats began to die. Some died of the cold, some starved, and some slipped on ice and... fell. When spring—sorry, newleaf—came around, the living cats decided that they wanted to honor their dead. They performed a silent vigil for the deceased. Halfway through the night, a cat that had fallen from the mountainside appeared to them, cloaked in stars. He told them that they were okay, that they had found a new world to live in, in which they named the **_inter Terrae*_.** They said their home was in the stars, that they called themselves the _**Tribus aeturnum Sky***._ The living talked it over, and decided to name themselves, too. _**Trinbus montes perpetuum***._ You see, Robinpaw, these cats were of foreign tongues. However, over time, their way of speaking changed, and they became more commonly known as the Tribe of the Eternal Sky, and the Tribe of the Lasting Mountains. The _inter Terrae _became the Inter Land.

"Your four Clans are derived from the Tribes. Moons passed, until it became the next leafbare. After yet more moons of death and starvation, a part of the Tribe decided to leave. _The dogs are gone,_ they said. _We can leave; we can find a better place to live._ Others in the Tribe thought differently, however. _Our ancestors have settled us here, permanently. If we leave, we defy them. _So, the Tribe split into two and one half left the mountains in search of a better home. With them, went half of the Tribe of the Eternal Sky. They couldn't bear to leave their friends alone in the world with no guidance. Finally, the half that had left the mountains formed the four Clans and the Tribe of the Eternal Sky became StarClan, to them. I assume you know about how the Clans were formed?" Snow said.

"Of course!" Robinpaw answered in awe, her green eyes wide. _We're descended from mountain cats?_ "Is that what you are, then, Snow? Are you a Tribe cat?"

Snow nodded. "I was in the first group to settle. The leader of the Tribe was my mate. I helped him lead the Tribe, and when I died, I came here, to the Inter Land, to be the guardian of this place. I have been here many, many moons, though I have yet to see the end of the Inter Land. The Inter Land, Robinpaw, is a place _between_ lands, where time is halted peacefully. Each star is a different world, and each has a different name. You go into one star, you enter another time period. Some stars are just a few days away in time difference. Others are moons upon moons. Others are different worlds entirely. You will be amazed as to what you can do and where you can go," she explained.

Robinpaw gazed at the star still glowing in front of her. "I can go _into_ it?"

"Not now, young one. Later. You are waking. I shall wait for you," Snow mewed, her melodic voice already fading into oblivion.

Robinpaw blinked open her eyes. All day long, she thought of the cat in the mist.

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><p><strong><em>*inter Terrae <em>**~ "Inter Land" in Latin. "Inter" means "in between".

***_Trinbus montes perpetuum _**~ "Tribe of the Eternal Sky" in Latin. "Eternal" means "forever".

*******Tribus aeturnum Sky **~ "Tribe of the Lasting Mountains" in Latin.

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><p><em>AN: Hope you liked! Comment, rate, &amp; review! :)<em>


	3. Blood of a Traitor

_**C**__**hapter 3: Blood of a Traitor**_

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><p>Beechpaw looked around in utter confusion.<p>

He was in a forest as dark as night. He couldn't see the sky. Through the canopy of trees, no natural light shined through, not even the twinkle of distant stars. The only source of light was a greenish-yellow hue cast upon the forest. It was apparently nighttime.

Shadows enveloped the dark outline of the trees. A slight, chilling wind caused the dying vegetation to sway subtly. The grass was a parched brown, soil visible through the lifeless blades. Trees were knotted, gnarly, and uprooted. Their branches were scraggly and the leaves were crisp, thirsty, and brown. A pile of bones, picked clean of meat, loomed above him in the center of the clearing in which he stood. _Bones_, he thought grimly. _Cat bones?_

"Hailfrost!" a demanding voice mewed loudly. Beechpaw looked up to see an ominous shadowy figure on top of the mound of bones. Another figure emerged from the shrouded undergrowth; a gray tom with a frail figure, as if he hadn't eaten or slept in a moon. His blue-gray eyes were clouded with grief, misery, and fear. Beechpaw assumed that this was Hailfrost.

"Yes, Master?" Hailfrost replied.

Beechpaw could not see the figure upon the mound; he only saw glowing amber eyes. The gaze chilled his blood.

"Hailfrost. Give me good news," the figure demanded. His voice was high-pitched and harsh, with a slight hiss that made him all the more menacing.

Hailfrost seemed to freeze. "I-I—well…" he stuttered. "There is none. I have failed you, Master," he said quietly, his voice breaking.

The figure's eyes glowed. "You have failed me… too many times." The cat's words were strangely calm. Frighteningly calm.

A pack of cats emerged from the forest. Beechpaw could see rippling muscles under dark, ragged pelts. Hailfrost seemed to sense what was going on. "No! Please!" he choked out. "I will not fail you the next time-"

"There will not be a next time."

The cat on the mound flicked his tail, and the pack of cats descended upon Hailfrost. They yowled and shrieked. Beechpaw could hear the desperate cries of the gray tom beneath the attacking cats. He willed, with all his heart, to run in and interfere, to save Hailfrost, but his paws were rooted to the spot and he could not move. He glanced around frantically, but all he saw were the glowing eyes of more cats watching from the trees. A cat was being murdered in front of their eyes, and they did nothing! Nothing at all!

Hailfrost gave one last wail. Beechpaw closed his eyes as he heard a vicious ripping sound, followed by the gurgling of blood. He opened an eye to see the gang of blood-soaked cats retreating into the forest. They had done their Master's bidding. What he also saw was Hailfrost's lifeless body, mangled and motionless, lying in a pool of his own blood. From the angle he was standing, he could see Hailfrost's eyes. They were still frozen in pure terror.

The figure on the mound of bones leaped down from the peak, and lashed his tail. All at once, the eyes from the forest vanished. Beechpaw could see the cat more clearly now.

His fur, as black as night, was long and unkempt. His tail was short, but scarred; as if someone had gnawed it off. A long scar ran down his face, resembling that of a lightning bolt. The bolt went right through the cat's eye. The cat's eye was nothing but a pool of red. No black or white or green or amber. A straight pool of red. Not bright red, no. A deep, crimson, bloody red. The other eye was a cruel, icy blue. The cat's claws were long and dangerously sharp, his ears large and alert. Yet another long scar ran down his flank. The cat was small, but Beechpaw knew he was not one to be toyed with. _Scarface, _hethought to himself, mentally giving a name to this cat.

Scarface padded over to the dead Hailfrost. Beechpaw noticed that he had a slightly limping gait. Scarface prodded Hailfrost with his paw, getting his paw blood-soaked in the process. He licked Hailfrost's blood from his pad. "Sour," he hissed. "The blood of a traitor."

Suddenly, Scarface's head snapped up, and for a moment, his gaze met Beechpaw's. And in that gaze, with no words spoken, Scarface made a silent threat.

Beechpaw spun into darkness, and awoke in another clearing. This clearing was much like the one where Scarface had murdered Hailfrost, though there were no bones. "Where am I?" he spoke aloud.

"You are… safe," a voice said. Beechpaw jumped, and then realized that the voice was much too warm to belong to Scarface.

A tom cat stepped out of the undergrowth. "I am Starkthistle," he introduced himself. "You have just seen the future."

"The future?" Beechpaw shrieked. "How could that _horrible _place _possibly _be the future?"

"It shall be the future," Starkthistle replied, "if you make it so." Beechpaw shook his head in confusion. "What are you talking about? How could _I _make the future so gruesome?" he asked in disbelief. "You are more powerful than you realize, Beechpaw. You underestimate your abilities. But I can help you," he crooned.

"Help me?"

"Help you, and your Clan."

Beechpaw eyed the cat suspiciously, yet his heart beat with hope. If this terrible scene was to be the future, and he would cause it to happen, he _would_ save his Clan.

"You will help my Clan?" he interrogated.

"I will. I will help you live."

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><p><em>AN: Good? Bad? Review &amp; Fave plzz! :D<em>


	4. Nothing but Mice

**Chapter 4: Nothing but Mice**

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><p>"Beechpaw!" Robinpaw exclaimed, padding over to her littermate. "I need to talk to you… alone."<p>

The two left camp, giving their mentors the excuse of going hunting, and went far out onto the moorland. "I had a dream…" she began hesitantly. What if Beechpaw thought she was as crazy as a badger?

"I had a dream, too!" Beechpaw said excitedly. "From StarClan!"

Something in Beechpaw's eyes looked shadowy, as if he wasn't being entirely honest, but Robinpaw pushed the thought away. "Really?" Her eyes grew wide. "What was-" She didn't get to finish.

"Beechpaw! Robinpaw!" a voice called. Midnightstorm. Midnightpaw and Fernpaw had recently become warriors, and seemed to think that they were Clan leader and deputy. Now they were Midnightstorm and Fernsky. And bossy know-it-all mousebrains.

"CloudClan cannot afford to have its apprentices stand around and gossip. You two told Rabbitwind and Foxwhisker that you were going hunting, and I see no trace of prey, nor do I see any indication that you were trying to catch prey. No more talking. Hunt," the new warrior demanded, his arrogant eyes blazing.

Robinpaw didn't dare speak to Beechpaw the rest of the time they were hunting. Midnightstorm may have been a senseless, ignorant mousebrain, but he was still a warrior. Robinpaw respected that.

Most of the time.

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><p>"Bluestar… is this wise?"<p>

"Whatever do you mean, Cinderpelt?"

The cat called Cinderpelt shook her star-spangled head in doubt. Her blue eyes were clouded. "I am not convinced that this will solve our problem."

Bluestar's piercing gaze narrowed. "Of course, Cinderpelt, this will not solve our problem at first. No, not at all. It may even set us back even further. But, when it is over, trust me, he will be banished to the absolute depths of his world, and will not return for many, many generations to come. Then, and only then, will this plan contribute to the resolving of our issue," she replied.

"But, Bluestar, are you willing to let perfectly strong, valuable cats join us, in StarClan?" Cinderpelt pointed out.

Bluestar looked intensely at her companion. "Everything that happens, happened, and will happen, my friend, has been set to happen since the beginning of this world. Every decision we make, every pawstep we take, has been foreseen by higher beings than us. You know who they are."

"Naturally."

"Well, then you should infer that _we_ did not make this decision. No, this decision has been made for many, many seasons."

Cinderpelt flicked her tail in slight irritation. "I see."

Bluestar shook her head. "No, you do not. But you soon will. We are nothing but mice. _They _are the cats. We are mice being controlled by the cats. The cats toy with us, and they fool around, trick us into thinking we'll live. If you were a mouse, surely you would think that you are in control? That you know what you are doing and you decide for yourself? But what the mice do not know is that the cats are the ones whom shape their lives. They decide whether to let the mice reach that last nibble of food, or whether to let the mice scuttle in a circle before they end their lives."

Cinderpelt said nothing.

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><p>Beechpaw growled. "You don't know <em>anything <em>about me!" he said angrily. "You're just a mousebrained, foxhearted warrior!"

Midnightstorm hissed. "You should not speak to me that way!" Fernsky came up behind him. "Beechpaw, calm yourself!" she commanded.

"You don't control me!"

Moonwing, Beechpaw's father, stepped in, along with Foxwhisker. "Beechpaw, _control your temper!_" his father said sternly.

"Shut up!" Beechpaw yelled. "Just everybody, _shut up! _I can't _take _it anymore!"

With that, he fled out of camp and ran as fast as his legs would take him.

Robinpaw, hearing the sleep-disturbing commotion, came out of the apprentices' den to see Beechpaw speed out of camp. She ran after him. _Great StarClan, what happened now?_

Beechpaw had run farther than he'd ever gone. He wasn't even sure if he was in CloudClan territory anymore. He found a dead tree to perch on, and fell asleep.

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><p>"Beechpaw."<p>

He opened his eyes to see Starkthistle in front of him. He sat up. "What are you doing here?" he asked.

"I told you I'd come back for you soon, with cats who will help. Here they are," Starkthistle said. He flicked his tail and a swarm of cats emerged from the shadowy undergrowth. Beechpaw looked around uneasily. He didn't feel comfortable. "Don't fret, young one," Starkthistle said gently, as if sensing Beechpaw's worries. "We are your friends. I want to introduce you to someone I think you will get along with…"

A broad-shouldered brown tabby tom stepped forward, his massive, dangerous paws thumping against the dead grass. His amber eyes glowed with ambitious, merciless vengeance. His pelt was battle-scarred and his claws were sharp.

"Tigerstar," he gasped in a frightened whisper.

Tigerstar purred. "So you've heard the dreadful, unfair tales they've fed to you? I'd hoped you weren't like the others, Beechpaw, that you'd be able to hear me out and see past what you think you know. After all, we are the only ones who can help you and your Clan from the dreadful outcomes of the future," he mewed.

Beechpaw hesitated. "Explain," he said.

"Surely, you do not think that the nightmares they tell you are true? I was not a traitor! Firestar disliked me strongly. He wanted to get rid of me; he wanted to be deputy, you see, and I was in his way. I would try to talk to Ravenpaw, warn him away from his fiery-pelted friend. Ravenpaw wasn't happy with Bluestar's choice in appointing me as his mentor, and, of course, he went to Firestar. He was still Firepaw then. He ran his mouth to everyone who would listen about how I was dangerous, trying to murder Bluestar. And then a pack of rogues attacked her. I tried to stop them. Bluestar was in shock and Firestar-he was Fireheart now- talked her into thinking I had tried to kill her. Can you imagine the humility and complete sadness I felt when they banished me? I had done no wrong! The rabbit trail? Firestar, himself, had laid it. I was trying to mess the dogs up. I didn't want Bluestar to be murdered! But he had killed her anyway. I had failed. He became leader. Then her brought the twolegplace cats in and framed me so that I looked like I had brought them to the Clans! By the time I figured it out, I was dead. Scourge had murdered me. And StarClan sent me here! I want to help the Clans, no matter how different they are from when I walked the forest. Please, Beechpaw, won't you understand?" Tigerstar pleaded. His amber eyes were wide and watery with tears. Beechpaw found that he believed Tigerstar.

Beechpaw was silent for a few moments, then finally said, "I know what it is like to be an outcast. I know what it is like to have nobody believe you, to have everyone doubt you and treat you like dirt. I believe you, Tigerstar. Now, will you help my Clan?"

Tigerstar looked unbelievably grateful. "I thank you with all my heart, Beechpaw. But the only way we can possibly help you is if you help us first. You see, StarClan, as cruel as they really are, trapped us in the dead tree on which you sleep. We are bound here until a living Clan cat older than seven moons finds us, and frees us," he explained.

"How do I free you?"

Tigerstar looked into Beechpaw's eyes seriously. "Break a tree branch from a living tree. Tuck it under one of the uprooting roots of this tree. Slash the trunk of the tree three times, then say, '_I release you in the name of StarClan._'"

Beechpaw nodded. "I will."

And then, he awoke.

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><p><em>AN: Hope you liked it! (Reviews make me smile) :)<em>


	5. The Fool's Demise

**Chapter 5: The Fool's Demise**

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><p>"Beechpaw!" Robinpaw wailed. The sun had set a while ago, yet she still couldn't find her littermate. She'd searched and searched. What if he ran away? What if something bad had happened?<p>

She'd just keep walking. Yes, that's what she would do. Beechpaw would never run away, no matter what happened at camp. He was loyal. So she would keep walking, and she _would _find her littermate.

Her paws ached before she finally saw a flash of brown tabby ahead. _Beechpaw! _She followed him.

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><p>Beechpaw had found a branch in a small cluster of trees.<p>

He climbed up the trunk of the tree, and balanced on the branch. It was not too far from the ground, not too thick and not too thin. He grasped it with his claws. This was the tricky part. Beechpaw bounced, feeling the branch give under his weight. He bounced again. And one more…

_Snap!_

The branch gave way, and it fell. Beechpaw went with it, but landed squarely on the next branch down. He reached out and nudged the branch with his paw; it had caught on another two branches. The branch fell to the ground. Beechpaw leaped, and he landed next to it.

Beechpaw clutched it with his teeth, and dragged it in the direction of Tigerstar's tree.

There, he tucked it underneath a loose root, and made sure it was secure.

His thoughts organized, his mind determined, Beechpaw reared back on his hind paws, and slashed the tree.

_Once._

For my Clan.

_ Twice._

For Robinpaw.

_Three times._

For all of the Clans.

"I release you in the name of StarClan!" he yowled.

The tree began to glow. It let off a shimmering, blinding light. Beechpaw fell backwards and looked away. Terrible howling and shrieking emitted from the tree. The noises echoed throughout the forest. A cracking sound, and the light went away. The shrieks were replaced with laughter.

Beechpaw opened his eyes. Tigerstar loomed above him, Starkthistle to his right. On Tigerstar's left was a tom that could be Tigerstar's twin; the only contrast was the icy blue eyes. Dark, shadowy figures with glowing blood-red eyes surrounded him. They had no detail; only a shape. "Thank you, Beechpaw," Tigerstar crooned. "We are free."

"I… You will help now?" he asked.

Tigerstar gave a cold, mocking laugh. "Of course, Beechpaw! We will help the future become true!" The figures of cats around him began to screech their support.

"What do you mean? I thought you were helping my Clan so the future wouldn't happen!" Beechpaw exclaimed. He gave an involuntary shudder. In that shudder was anger.

And fear.

"Foolish, foolish Beechpaw. You didn't actually believe my pity story, did you?" Tigerstar laughed.

The figures of bloodthirsty cats were getting closer. He looked around frantically. _What have I done? _

Tigerstar stepped closer. "I can't have you running back to Autumnstar, Beechpaw. She'll do everything she can to stop me. Which is why I have to… _dispose _of you. I do hope you understand."

_Great StarClan, save my Clan._

The last thing Beechpaw ever saw was a swarm of vicious cats tearing away at him.

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><p>Robinpaw was rooted to the spot in horror. She'd witnessed the whole thing.<p>

She'd tried to move, to save Beechpaw. But her paws wouldn't work and her mouth wouldn't move.

She watched as her best friend and littermate collapsed underneath the black figures, saw Tigerstar give an evil, bloodthirsty laugh, and witnessed as they retreated into the moorland, towards GrassClan territory

When they were gone, Robinpaw gave a shriek, and ran back to camp.

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><p>She awoke in the medicine den.<p>

Dawnpaw was feeding her thyme and poppy seeds. "Leafgaze," Dawnpaw called softly, "she's awake."

Dawnpaw was Fernsky and Midnightstorm's littermate. She was the most caring and the most reserved; Robinpaw quite liked her. Dawnpaw had pale brown fur, with a fluffy dark brown tail and unique lavender eyes.

Leafgaze was her mentor, and CloudClan's medicine cat. Leafgaze was a brown tabby with leafy green eyes. Leafgaze emerged from a curtain of lichen in the back of the den. The Medicine Den was one of the few in the camp that was sheltered from the wind; it was a large abandoned badger's den.

The medicine cat leaned over Robinpaw, inspecting her eyes. "No sign of head injury. It seems that she was just in shock."

"Wait, what happened?" Robinpaw asked.

Dawnpaw gave her the herbs to chew as Leafgaze began to explain. "You came into camp yowling something about Beechpaw. Then you fainted, so we brought you here. Let us fetch Autumnstar, and you can tell us what happened. Dawnpaw, go and find her."

The apprentice gave a nod and quickly left the den, leaving Leafgaze and Robinpaw alone.

"Leafgaze… do you have any idea what Beechpaw was so angry about earlier?" she asked.

Leafgaze looked at Robinpaw, debating whether or not to tell her. "Beechpaw was caught breaking the Warrior Code. Midnightstorm caught him eating prey before the elders, queens, and kits were fed. Beechpaw had an outburst about how stuck-up he and Fernsky were. Midnightstorm said it was natural to feel that way, and Beechpaw just lost it."

Before Robinpaw could reply, Dawnpaw returned with Autumnstar. The CloudClan leader sat in front of Robinpaw. "Tell me, young one. What has happened?"

Robinpaw felt her breathing become ragged.

"Beechpaw is dead. Tigerstar is back."

* * *

><p><em>AN: Liked it? Love it? I NEED MORE REVIEWS! :)<em>


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